Why Milwaukee loves Miller Lite

Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·1 min read

A symbol of Milwaukee’s proud brewing history, bottles of Miller Lite can be seen in the hands of drinkers at dive bars and tailgates across Milwaukee.

It’s probably the most ubiquitous of the Miller beers — Miller Chill, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life and Miller 64 Extra Light — in a town where the Miller name still looms large (literally — the large red Miller sign can be seen by anyone driving into downtown from the west on Interstate 94).

In 1973, Miller Brewing bought a low-calorie “Lite” brand of beer from Chicago-based Meister Brau Inc. and turned it into what’s now known as Miller Lite. From there, the company advertised the beer with the help of sports stars like Mickey Mantle, John Madden and Bob Uecker with the popular line “Tastes great … less filling.”

54. Miller Lite is probably the most ubiquitous of the Miller beers. Miller Brewing bought a low-calorie “Lite” brand of beer from Meister Brau Inc. in 1973 and advertised the beer with the help of sports stars. “Tastes great … less filling” was the popular line.
54. Miller Lite is probably the most ubiquitous of the Miller beers. Miller Brewing bought a low-calorie “Lite” brand of beer from Meister Brau Inc. in 1973 and advertised the beer with the help of sports stars. “Tastes great … less filling” was the popular line.

Today, Miller Lite and other Miller beers are under the MolsonCoors’ list of brands.

In 1996, Miller acquired the naming rights to the Milwaukee Brewers’ yet-to-be-built stadium, which opened in 2001. It was called Miller Park until the naming rights agreement expired in 2020 and American Family Insurance took over, renaming the stadium American Family Field.

But naturally, Miller Lite can still be found for sale at the stadium during Brewers’ games.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why Milwaukee loves Miller Lite